Arsenal’s Tactical Brilliance: Overcoming Adversity

Despite missing key players Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice, Arsenal won their away match against Tottenham and secured three crucial points. Mikel Arteta showed great adaptability in managing injury issues and altering the team’s structure and style. This demonstrates his ability to keep Arsenal in contention for the top position alongside Manchester City.

On the other hand, Tottenham failed to create sufficient scoring opportunities despite displaying impressive attacking play in the first half. In the second half, Ange Postecoglou’s team was unable to pose any significant threat to their opponents.

So let’s analyze Arteta’s game plan and discuss why Arsenal once again proved themselves as one of the top teams in the Premier League.

Arsenal’s Unexpected Path to Victory

Martin Ødegaard’s injury and Declan Rice’s suspension left Mikel Arteta without two key attacking midfielders who operate in the half-spaces. 

The problem was exacerbated by Fabio Viera’s loan to Porto, especially since the Portuguese player could have replaced Ødegaard, and the injury to Mikel Merino, who would have been a natural fit in Rice’s position as a defensive midfielder.

As a result, Arteta was left with just one defensive midfielder, Thomas Partey. He was forced to use Jorginho and Leandro Trossard alongside Partey, but they couldn’t make up for the absences of Ødegaard and Rice when it came to pressing and defending in the center.

Despite these limitations, Arteta managed to change the team’s playing style in the away game against Tottenham. Recognizing the lack of defensive steel in midfield, he shifted Arsenal into a more cautious and disciplined setup.

The Gunners rarely pressed high or met their opponents in the middle block, holding only 36% of the ball and launching rare but quick, incisive counterattacks.

In a deep defensive block, Arsenal operated in an ultra-compact 4-4-2 formation, covering the penalty area completely. Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz positioned themselves slightly higher than their teammates and tried to block their support zone, leaving no space for Tottenham’s central midfielders.

Throughout the match, Arsenal had only seven shots on goal against Tottenham, but all of them were inside the opponents’ box as a result of dangerous counterattacks.

Arsenal’s Compact Rest-Defense Neutralizes Tottenham’s Counterattacks

In their positional attacks, the visitors were particularly cautious, opting out of their usual 2-3-5 / 3-2-5 structure and switching to a safer 4-2-3-1 formation. This meant that six players, rather than the usual five, remained in their own half in case of losing the ball and Tottenham’s counterattacks.

This meant that Arsenal consistently had six players in rest defense, who shifted from attack to defense in a very coordinated and compact manner, effectively blocking the central entrance to their penalty area. As a result, Tottenham’s rapid counter-attacks never turned into dangerous strikes.

At the same time, Arsenal usually involve five players in their attacking line during positional attacks, but in this match, there were only four, with Leandro Trossard playing as a number ten and effectively supporting his teammates in both half-spaces.

Saliba and Gabriel: The Premier League’s Best Backline

Arteta did everything possible to make it difficult for Tottenham to create opportunities in long periods of possession and quick vertical attacks. 

However, Tottenham still managed to exploit Jorginho’s defensive vulnerabilities in the half-spaces and frequently entered the opponents’ penalty area. In fact, in this match, Spurs made more entries into Arsenal’s penalty area than any other opponent of the Gunners in the last two years.

In these moments, Arsenal’s central defensive duo of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães played a crucial role in the successful outcome. 

They won almost all crucial aerial duels in their penalty area, provided cover for the full-backs on the flanks, maintained a clear offside line, and their one-on-one defending was impeccable.

Saliba and Magalhães once again demonstrated why they are considered the Premier League’s top central defensive pairing. 

Their consistent performances, both in this match and throughout last season, have solidified Arsenal’s status as one of the best defensive units in the league, explaining the Gunners’ top defensive record in the EPL.

Postecoglou’s Spurs Need More Consistency to Challenge

Arsenal’s attacking play in the first half varied greatly. They created combinations on the flanks, used wide passes from flank to flank, and delivered precise crosses to the far post. 

At the same time, Spurs successfully pressed the guests several times and executed very swift vertical attacks.

If Tottenham had played like this throughout the entire match, perhaps Postecoglou’s team might have found the back of the net. However, in the second half, there was a physical drop, leading to slower and more predictable attacking patterns.

At the start of the season, Tottenham is very unstable. If they continue with this fluctuating style, it’s unlikely that they can compete for a top-five finish.

Corner Kings: Arsenal’s Secret Weapon

Last season, Arsenal scored five more goals from corner kicks than Manchester City, making them the best team in the Premier League in this area. In many matches, Arsenal had problems finishing positional attacks, and goals from corners helped them secure important points.

In the North London derby, Gabriel Martinelli missed some clear opportunities,but Gabriel Magalhães stepped up, heading in from a well-delivered corner to seal the victory.

In the new season, Arsenal will likely struggle to convert chances into goals without a consistent out-and-out striker. In that case, goals from corner kicks could again be extremely beneficial.

Conclusions

Mikel Arteta changed the attacking formation from 2-3-5 / 3-2-5 to 4-2-3-1, allowing his team to better control Tottenham’s counterattacks as six players consistently stayed in their half of the field.

Arsenal played with a low block, denying space in their penalty area for the opponents. In this 4-4-2 formation, Arteta managed to partly compensate for Jorginho’s defensive vulnerabilities.

But the main point is how well William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães played, almost completely controlling the situation in their penalty area, with David Raya rescuing the team at crucial moments.

With such tactical flexibility, defensive solidity, and the ability to regularly score goals from corners, is well-positioned to contend for the Premier League title this season.